St Paul's Anglican Church, Proserpine

St Paul's Anglican Church is a heritage-listed church at 8 Main Street, Proserpine, Whitsunday Region, Queensland, Australia. It was designed by Eddie Oribin and built from 1958 to 1959 by Les Tinsley & Co. It is also known as St Paul's Anglican Memorial Church and Proserpine Church of England. It was added to the Queensland Heritage Register on 11 October 2013.HistorySt Paul's Anglican Church in Proserpine, completed in 1959, is one of a series of innovative churches designed by Cairns-based architect Edwin Henry (Eddie) Oribin. It was constructed by local builder Les Tinsley and Co. with engineering details provided by R McLean. The church is made from a variety of materials including brick, timber and concrete, and features a striking parabolic roof of laminated timber arches, an early use of this structural system in Queensland.The Proserpine area was first settled from the 1860s and agriculture became the main industry. An initial attempt at sugar cane production in the early 1880s at Glen Isla plantation failed and the estate was subsequently sold and subdivided into small farms. Much of the present-day Proserpine town area occupies land formerly part of the plantation site. A stable sugar-growing industry was eventually established in Proserpine in 1897 with the opening of the Proserpine Central Mill. By 1900, there were 200 settlers and 70 suppliers to the mill.